We here present an effective strategy to prepare enhanced composites using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). It contains two essential steps. First, the elaboration of homogeneous aqueous MWCNT dispersions and the selection of the most effective dispersing agent. In a sequential dispersion protocol for seven common dispersants, including surfactants and polymer...

We dispersed the non-covalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a polymer dispersant and obtained a powder of polymer-wrapped CNTs. The UV-vis absorption spectrum was used to investigate the optimal weight ratio of the CNTs and polymer dispersant. The powder of polymer-wrapped CNTs had improved the drawbacks of CNTs of being lightweight and difficult to process, and...

We investigate the stability of aqueous barium titanate suspensions as a function of dispersant architecture, ionic strength, counterion valency, and particle size. Both pure polyelectrolytes, poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), and comb polymer dispersants composed of a PMAA backbone with methoxy-poly(ethylene oxide) (mPEO) teeth of varying molecular weights are studied. Whil...

The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects (2005) identified two factors that require further investigation in chemical oil dispersant efficacy studies: 1) quantification of mixing energy at sea as energy dissipation rate and 2) dispersed particle size distribution. To fully evaluate the significance of these factors, a wave t...

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are found throughout the universe. The ubiquity of these organic molecules means that they considerable interest in context cosmic dust, which typically travels at hypervelocities (>1 km s–1) within our solar system. However, studying such fast-moving micrometer-sized particles laboratory-based experiments requires suitable synthetic mimics. Herein, we use ball-...

The effects of Corexit 9500, a dispersant used to clean up oil spills, on invertebrates, lower vertebrates, birds, and human health have been examined, but there is a significant lack of study of the effect of this dispersant on aquatic viruses. In this study, the effects of Corexit 9500 on four aquatic viruses of differing structural composition were examined. Corexit 9500 reduced the titer of...

Cross-flow microfiltration (CFMF) was experimentaLLy studied for the separation of precipitates of chromium hydroxide. Although this process enables one to obtain chromium-free filtrate, a disadvantage is that the filtration flux declines rapidly due to membrane fouling. In order to avoid this fouling problem and increase the filtration flux, an electric field was applied across the membrane as...

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been proposed and actively explored as multipurpose innovative nanoscaffolds for applications in fields such as material science, drug delivery and diagnostic applications. Their versatile physicochemical features are nonetheless limited by their scarce solubilization in both aqueous and organic solvents. In order to overcome this drawback CNTs can be easily non-cov...